Safety barrette



Feb. 3, 1925. 1,525,051

J. N. SMITH SAFETY BARRETTE Filed Aug. 29, 1924 ATTORNEY Patented Feb.3, 1925.

ITED STATES JULIA N. SMITH, or WHEA'JJON, ILLINOIS.

SAFETY BARRETTE.

Application filed August 29, 1924. Serial No. 734,898.

7'0 7! whomit may concern:

Be it known that I, JULIA N. SMITH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Wheaton, in the county of Dupage and State of Illinois, haveinvented a new and useful Safety Barrette, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to articles used by ladies for dressing the hairand particularly to that class known as barrettes.

The object is to provide a device of this class to be used in connectionwith an ornamental comb commonly used at the back of the head and knownas a Spanish comb, the said device having means for engagement with theteeth of the comb so as to prevent the latter from accidently fallingoutof the hair.

Another object is to provide a barrette which may be easily applied inposition at the back of the head with the ornamental. part thereofexposed to view, the holding or clamping means being readily insertedthrough the strands of the hair to engage with the teeth of the comb, toclamp the latter and to clamp the hair without disturbing the positionof either, and leaving the ornamental portions of both the comb and thebarrette uncovered to enhance the appearance of the hair; the saiddevice fur-' ther serving to retain in position on the outermost teethof the comb, switches or braids or other artificial hair which may bewrapped about the head or otherwise draped or arranged to further addtothe attractive ness of the coiifure.

A full and complete understanding of the invention may be obtained froma consideration of the following detailed description, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing forming a part of thisspecification; it being understood that while the drawing shows apractical form of the invention, the latter is not to be confined tostrict conformity with the showing thereof, but may be changed ormodified, so long as such changes or modifications mark no materialdeparture from the salient features of the invention, as specificallypointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing, in which similar reference characters designatecorresponding parts throughout the several figures:

Figure 1 is an elevation of an ornamental comb for the back hair havingopposite switches or braids attached to the teeth thereof and theimproved barrette clamped thereon as when in applied position.

Figure 2 is a horizontal section through the teeth of the comb andshowing the man ner of clamping the barrette to the same.

Figure 3 is a detail perspective view of the barrette removed from thecomb.

The present improvements are designed to be used in connection with fullsuits of hair, or on bobbed heads where the hair has been cut off to agreater or lesser degree and the person is desirous of fasteningartificial hair in the form of switches, braids, rats, transformations,etc., etc., to give the appearance of a full suit of hair, or toornament the head and to beautify the coiffure.

The invention is designed to be used in connection with the well-knownform of hair comb 1, known as a Spanish comb and adapted to be insertedin the hair at the back of the head. The elongated teeth 2 of the combmay be inserted into the hair, whether the latter is long or short and,by means of the improved barrette, may be securely held thereinwithoutdanger of accidently falling out.

The barrette consists of an elongated body member 3 which may be formedof any desirable material, such as gold or silver for the more expensivegrades or of some baser metal suitably plated or washed, or the saidbody member may be formed of other material such as horn,tortoise-shell, hone, ivory or celluloid, and in either event is capableof great variety in size, shape, design and in the manner ofembellishing or ornamenting the same.

The body member 3 is U-shaped' in cross section and is preferably curvedthroughout its length, as clearly shown in Figure 2 of the drawing. Theupper and lower walls defined by such U-shaped formation are pro videdwith arcuate recesses or seats 4 in aline-ment with each othertransversely of the body member, said seats extending throughout themajor portion of the length of said walls and adapted to receive theteeth 2 of the comb 1.

At one end of the body member, the Walls are formed into spaced alinedeyes 5 for the reception of a pivot pin 6, upon which is swivelled oneend of a clamping bar or pin 7, which has a terminal eye or loop forthis purpose. The clamping bar or pin is normally curved to conform tothe shape of the body member, and the free end 8 of the same is pointedfor facilitating its passage through the hair, and is adapted to beengaged in the hook or keeper 9 formed at the opposite terminal of oneof the said walls, the other wall being cut away, as shown at 10, inorder to allow the said point to enter the hook or keeper. The pointedend 8 of the bar or pin 7 extends somewhat beyond the keeper 9, so thatit may be engaged by the finger nail to free the same from the keeperwhen it is desired to remove the bar rette from the comb. v

The comb is intended to be placed in the hair in the same manner asheretofore, with the upper, ornamental portion thereof exposed and thepointed ends of the teeth hidden in the, hair, when the pointed end 8 ofthe clamping bar of the barrette which is now open, is inserted beneaththe hair and passed through the same and behind the teeth of the comb,the ornamental body member thereof lying entirely on the outside of thehair, when the free end of the clamping bar or pin may be engaged by thefinger or nail and placed within the keeper 9, thereby clamping thestrands of hair thus engaged and also securely fastening the barrettetot-he teeth of the comb. The comb and the barrette may thus be fastenedto either long or short hair and add greatly to the appearance of thesame.

VVhe-n it is desired to add to the bulk of hair on the wearers head, apair of switches 11, having their ends formed into loops or eyes 12 aresecured to the comb 1 by passing the outermost teeth of the latterthrough said eyes 12 before the comb is applied to the hair, the latteris then inserted in the hair, as before, and the barrette applied, whenthe said switches may then be passed around the head in the desiredmanner and secured at their free ends by an ordinary hair pin. Theswitches may be curled, waved, braided or otherwise formed or treated,and the same arranged on the head in a great variety of ways to suit theindividual.

From the foregoing it will be seen that a simple means has been providedfor securing ornamental combs in the hair, whet-her the same isshort orlong, and that neither the comb nor the barrette may become accidentlyloosened, the combination of the two members affording excellentanchoring or supporting means for additional switches, braids or thelike to increase the amount of hair on the wearers head and to permitthe same to be artistically arranged.

lVhat is claimed is: V

1. In combination with a hair comb having a plurality of spaced teeth, abarrette having a length greater than the width of the teeth andprovided with recesses on the inner side thereof, one for each tooth ofthe comb, and a clamping means extending across the outside of tl eteeth to clamp the same in the said recesses. V v

2. In combination with a hair comb having a plurality of spaced teeth, abarrette having a length greater than the width of the teeth andprovided with a recess on the rear side thereof for each of said teeth,a clamping pin pivoted at one end of the barrette and adapted to engagea. hook at the other end and to extend acrossthe teeth and clamp thesame in the said recesses. 3. A barrette adapted to be used inconnection with a hair comb, said barre-t te being U-shaped in crosssection with the spaced edges each provided with a series of recesses orsea-ts adapted to receive the teeth of the comb, a resilient pin pivotedat one end to one end of the barrette, and an open hook formed at theother end of the latter and adapted to engage the free end of the pin toclamp against the rear sides of the. teeth and hold the comb in the hairof the wearer, with the outer, ornamental side of the barrette exposedto view.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixedmy signaturc.

Mas. JULIA. N. SMITH.

